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Giants win NFC's top seed with win over Panthers

Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, left, runs for his fourth touchdown of the night, pursued by New York Giants' Michael Johnson, right, and Barry Cofield during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

AP PHOTO

AP Sports Writer

Published: Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 8:34 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 11:48 p.m.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The NFC road to the Super Bowl will run through the Meadowlands because the New York Giants did what you have to do in bad weather — run the ball.

Derrick Ward ran for career-best 215 yards and set up Brandon Jacobs' winning 2-yard touchdown run with 9:57 left in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Giants clinched the NFC's top seed for the postseason with a 34-28 comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

The final score warmed the hearts of the fans, who brazed blustery wind and snow packed under their seats to see New York pull off the dramatic win. They tossed snowballs on to the field earlier and threw it like confetti when Jacobs won the game.

New York (12-3) forced the overtime when Jacobs plowed into the end zone from a yard out, and Eli Manning hit Domenik Hixon on a slant pattern for the tying 2-point conversion with 3:21 to play.

<p>EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The NFC road to the Super Bowl will run through the Meadowlands because the New York Giants did what you have to do in bad weather  run the ball.</p><p>Derrick Ward ran for career-best 215 yards and set up Brandon Jacobs' winning 2-yard touchdown run with 9:57 left in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Giants clinched the NFC's top seed for the postseason with a 34-28 comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.</p><p>The final score warmed the hearts of the fans, who brazed blustery wind and snow packed under their seats to see New York pull off the dramatic win. They tossed snowballs on to the field earlier and threw it like confetti when Jacobs won the game.</p><p>New York (12-3) forced the overtime when Jacobs plowed into the end zone from a yard out, and Eli Manning hit Domenik Hixon on a slant pattern for the tying 2-point conversion with 3:21 to play.</p><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://blueridgenow.stats.com/config/shsdefault.css">
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